How can the City of San Antonio collect, explore, and evaluate solution-driven ideas from employees?

For Phase 1, we designed and implemented a digital process for the City to collect, explore, and evaluate solution-driven ideas from front-line and mid level employees. The 3-month pilot was conducted with 100 COSA employee participants across 20 different departments.

Key results and lessons learned are that City staff are eager to be able to submit their ideas and have compelling, cost time saving ideas. There were over 300 interactions and more than 40 ideas submitted. More than half of the ideas submitted were in response to specific challenges put forth for ideas. Participants reported increased morale and engagement at work. Executive buy-in, how to implement trials, and funding for scaling the platform are the biggest barriers. The cost to continue the trial with access for all city employees (and eventually residents) is high under pilot partnership with Salesforce, so COSA’s Information Technology Systems Department is testing the success of utilizing low-cost, Microsoft 365 tools for the next phase of the idea portal.